Summer Internships 2017
This summer, first year Goldman School of Public Policy MPP students are all over the country and the globe pursuing internships in government, non-profits, and the private sector. Below are just a few of the one hundred internships via which students are gaining real-world policy experience.
Steven Almazan
Where are you?
I am interning in Los Angeles with The Broad Center (TBC), a non-profit organization that prepares strong system-level leaders in public k-12 education.
What are you doing?
As a Summer Associate II, I am working on a research and analysis project focused on identifying the key characteristic trends and the statistical probability of education leaders (specifically leaders of color) securing superintendent positions in large urban school districts. I am also working on a qualitative-based project to produce, compile and develop high-quality learning content for alumni of TBC programs who are interested in Chief-Level roles with School Operating Organizations. Through different interviews with senior-level education leaders from school systems across the county, I am curating and developing resources (i.e. readings, articles, exercise activities, case studies, etc.) for our leaders who want to explore Chief-Level opportunities.
What are you learning?
As a former classroom teacher, I'm still exploring how I can make a meaningful impact through the lens of a non-profit or an advocacy group, and this summer has provided me an opportunity to speak with senior-level executives who are focused on strategy development and policy development at the school district level. Through these conversations, I've learned that I can explore multiple career pathways as an education policy leader. I've also learned to leverage and deepen my network of education leaders in Los Angeles through The Broad Center to speak with hiring managers for potential employment opportunities immediately after graduation in May 2018.
Clarence Ford
WHERE ARE YOU?
I'm currently a summer Health Equity fellow with the Office of Minority Health (OMH). My placement site is at the Department of Health and Human Services with the Assistance for Secretary Planning and Evaluation (ASPE).
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
I'm undertaking two projects, one for ASPE and the other for the OMH. For ASPE I'm working with the HHS/Criminal Justice reentry group on ways to increase interagency collaboration between different divisions and partners working on prisoner reentry efforts across HHS. I'm also conducting a time series evaluation of a policy intervention known as "Ban the Box," which changes the employment application process by postponing the question about conviction history until later in the hiring process. In particular, I'm evaluating UC Berkeley's recent "Ban the Box," policy, which was a campaign I spearheaded with the support of my on campus team organization (Berkeley Underground Scholars).
WHAT'S ONE THING YOU'VE LEARNED SO FAR?
I've learned that being proactive and going to various events, hearings, conferences, and even happy hour are the optimal ways to network and set oneself up for future opportunity.
Shruti Jain
Where are you?
I am interning at JPAL South Asia in their Chennai, India office.
What are you doing?
Over the last 2 months, I have designed a baseline survey instrument, participated in piloting, and analyzed data received from the Tamil Nadu state government.
What are you learning?
I had never designed quantitative surveys before this internship. That was a great learning experience.
Sarah Laderman
Where are you?
I am interning at the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Lab, which focuses on the nexus of science and technology and policy to provide fresh insights for understanding and addressing important national security issues.
What are you doing?
My primary project has been researching and analyzing China's military strategy, with a particular emphasis on how its nuclear arsenal may or may not help the government achieve their national goals, and how the United States might modify its policy to have a better working relationship with China. I have co-presented on this project in a Lab-wide seminar (which will be on YouTube once it is reviewed and released by the lab), and I am co-authoring a monograph that will be published in the fall (again, once it is reviewed and released by the lab).
What are you learning?
This summer has taught me how to make policy easily digestible for scientists and engineers, how to put their work at the lab into a global context so they can truly understand why their jobs are critical to global security.
Anna Radoff
Where are you?
This summer I'm working as a Mayoral Fellow for the City of Chicago.
What are you doing?
I am doing policy analysis on a wide range of issues.
What are you learning?
I am learning the role of local government and how to move quality policy at the municipal level. My biggest take away from the summer is that not all policy is sexy and glamorous, but it can still have an impact.
Rick Zarrella
Where are you?
I'm interning at the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), on the Defense Capabilities and Management mission team.
What are you doing?
I'm performing the work of a GAO analyst, which includes researching topical information, interviewing subject matter experts and Department of Defense (DoD) officials, obtaining documents/data from agencies, designing research methodology, working with stakeholders across GAO mission teams, and writing report sections to inform Congress and the public on government's actions and performance. The report my 5-person engagement team is working on is mandated in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act that requires DoD to reform its organizational strategy and implement certain modernized management practices.
What are you learning?
Defense budgeting and appropriation are incredibly complicated and multifaceted. At any one time DoD is working on three separate budgets: executing last year's, submitting this year's, and preparing inputs for next year's. What makes it especially complicated is that many budget elements are multi-year appropriations and a single budget item must make it through eight big-picture bureaucratic steps spanning multiple years (each step with many internal sub-processes) to be considered.